RAC

On Sunday my friend Whitney & I went to the 9:30 Club for the RAC concert. After Bonnaroo I was a little burnt out on going to concerts. But after a break it was time to get back to it. This concert was the perfect choice! If you don't know who RAC is I have created a mini playlist for you, listen & thank me later.

Speak, a band from Austin was the opening act. Whitney & I got to the venue just in time we were able to snag front row spots! This is a dream come true for two short people ;).

Penguin Prison came on next. The energy kept building leading up to RAC.

RAC was next...

We couldn't wait I was ready to dance!

The singer from Speak came back out to perform with RAC. They all have amazing voices & perform perfectly together. 

They played all my favorites & brought the house down when they played Home. I still have chills thinking about it!

I didn't think it could get much better... Then they played my absolute favorite, Let Go.

& so we did.

They are currently still on tour, go! Whenever I go to concerts I feel so alive. I love the energy & I get to sing my heart out (best feeling ever!)

Have you been to any good concerts lately?

Xo,

Emily

West Elm Opening Party

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the opening party for the new West Elm store in Logan Circle. I knew it would be great but let me tell you the space is stunning! I am also a huge fan of West Elm not only because they have great furniture but they also support local artisans. It's pretty cool that you can go into different locations & find something different from local artists.

As I walked into the store I was greeted with champagne + hor dourves. My kind of a party!

The space is bright & every corner is decorated with adorable things. Including these two cuties!

On the second floor you will find furniture for your living area + bedroom. Can I just live here? 

Of course we couldn't stop exploring the new space!

To make the opening even better, the animal rescue center was there with adorable dogs you could adopt (I wish!) Tony found the sweetest little poodle.

^^ Z & I got distracted (typical!) We convinced Tony to join in the fun.

Shop the look:

It was a great night & now my apartment wish list is a mile long! Thanks West Elm & congrats on your new store. If you're in the area I highly suggest you head to Logan Circle to find your home supply needs + support local.

Xo,

Emily

Friday Favorites: Travel

We've made it to Friday! I have been feeling under the weather (sorry for the lack of posts this week!) I am looking forward to getting some rest & catching up since being sick. This week I got REALLY excited for my upcoming vacation. We put the final touches on our travel plans, started researching what we want to do/ see & it finally seems like it's happening. We are 28 days away from our vacation around the world. 

So this week I wanted to share my findings + my favorite links for traveling:

1. 10 Smart Swaps That Will Upgrade Your Travel Experience (Buzzfeed)

I will be using some of these! I love the bobby pin swap. I am always struggling to figure out ways to keep them from going all over the place in my bag. This is simple + smart!

2. Travel Tips: How to Survive a Red Eye (Well-Traveled Wife)

I haven't flown on many red-eye flights but during my travels abroad I have two of them. These tips will be coming in handy! I also love Emi's recommendations for travel pillows & I am seriously considering getting the HoodiePillow. 

3. How to Fight Jet Lag (Laurenconrad.com)

During our vacation we will be going in & out of different time zones. I tend to get hit pretty hard with jet lag when I travel. I am trying to avoid it as much as I can! I will be downloading this app to help keep me on track.

4. 27 Brilliant Tips for Booking a Trip, Packing & Vacationing (StyleCaster)

This guide covers everything from booking your vacation to packing for it. I am not the best packer so I will be using these tips!

5. Packing Product for Travel (The Beauty Department)

Such a simple tip! Why didn't I know about this sooner? Mind blown!

If you want to see more articles I love + travel inspiration follow my Pinterest board. I hope you all have a great weekend! Do you have any fun plans?

Xo,

Emily

How To: Host a Murder Mystery Party

I’ve always wanted to host a murder mystery party but never knew how to go about it. That changed during a brainstorm at work when we came up with the idea to host one. The theme would be "Who Killed Myspace?" (I work in social media ;)) 

We decided to host a networking event with Ad 2 DC & tie the mystery into it. I will be sharing photos after the event (next Wednesday if you're in the area) but I didn't want to spoil the surprise!

Grab your friends & get ready to throw a murder mystery party! 

1. Determine Your Guest List

How many people do you want to attend your party? From here you can figure out how many characters you will need. We estimated around 25-30 guests for our party & came up with 35 social platforms to be the characters for our guests.

2. Develop Your Characters

This is the fun part! We created a word document with each character & wrote a description about their personality, who they hang out with, etc. Ours are a bit silly since we are using social platforms as the characters but it was fun & really got us thinking about who the murder could be...

3. Clues

After writing the character descriptions you should decide who the murder is. Come up with clues leading back to the murder in your document. For example: Ask XYZ whom XYZ was last seen with.

4. Print Character Descriptions

Once you have your character descriptions & clues print copies for your guests. 

5. Create a Ballot

Create a ballot to hand out to guests so they can cast their vote on the murder.

6. Best Actor

We also created a ballot so attendees can cast their vote on the best actor. You can giveaway a fun prize to get people really into it.

7. Prepare Roles

In an envelope include: the character description & clues to give to each guest as they arrive.

8. Props

Get a few props for each character to make it fun & to help get your guests really into the mystery.

9. Decorate

The day of your party decorate your space! You can also serve specialty cocktails to get your guests really into the Halloween spirit!

10. Have Fun

Your guests will solve the mystery with the hints that they were given & at the end everyone will write down who they believe to be the murder. Don't forget to have fun!

Do you have any fun Halloween traditions? Stay tuned for pictures from our event! 

Xo,

Emily

Friday Favorites

This week my friend Emily is visiting from California, so I have been busy hanging out with her! I am going to keep this post short & to the point. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

My favorite links from around the web:

1. Which Wine Pairs With My Halloween Candy? (Bustle)

I love Halloween candy! Now I can enjoy it the adult way by pairing it with wine. I know I am super classy :).

2. 12 Words Even Smart People Get Wrong (Cup of Joe)

This proves that we are all in this together! Everyone gets mixed up on words sometimes. If Einstein did so can we!

3. Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe (LaaLoosh)

I need a crock pot so I can make this! Plus it's only 8 weight watchers points (if you do that!)

4. Knuckle Ring Set (DurrangoDreamDesign Etsy Shop)

Love these delicate rings! They are so simple & cute.

5. Ultimate Guide to Charleston (A Touch of Teal + Cooper and Thames)

This guide makes me want to plan a trip to Charleston ASAP. How charming does it look? 

Do you have any fun plans this weekend? 

Xo,

Emily

A Different Kind of Diet

I might have a slight problem with my love of shopping...

It isn't exactly an urge to buy one particular thing. It is all of the things! When I lived in Waco, I satisfied the urge by spending Saturday mornings at thrift stores and antique shops, only allowing myself to purchase small things or things I needed that happened to be really great deals. This is how I ended up with five mis-matched chairs in my apartment, too many tables, more lamps than I could count, and some failed DIY projects. I needed those things to distract from the outdated wood paneling! You know, for all of those dinner parties I was throwing during law school.

It has been a different struggle as I graduated and moved to Austin. I did a big purge of the excess and mis-matched back in May and again in August, then the Boy and I combined all of our furniture into one apartment. Talk about a casual shopper's dream project to fit it all together and purchase the accessories that we never had time or money for before! If only I had an unlimited dream budget.

I have managed to stay in the black due to graduation gifts and saving over the last year, but now it is really time to buckle down. I'm searching for jobs (and have been somewhat successful, but that's for another post), but until that first real, grown-up paycheck comes, I need to go on a spending diet. YES! I SAID SPENDING DIET! (I need to go on another kind of diet too, but again a later post on that one).

I'm not quite as bad as Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic Series (loved those books), but I think I should get it under control before I get there. I'm not expert, but here goes...

MY PERSONAL SHOPPING DIET:

1. No trips to the mall!
2. No Julep Maven box for at least 2 months.
3. Cut back on eating out.
4. After my Pure Barre pass expires, ONLY workout at home or for FREE in the great outdoors or gym at my apartment.
5. No new clothes, jewelry, accessories, or shoes until I secure full-time employment.
6. No spontaneous trips to the grocery store - shopping list only.
7. Work more, play less.
8. No going out for drinks (except to celebrate a trial victory or bar results) until I secure full-time employment.
9. BLOG about things that I want to buy and give our followers the insider details on sales that I get emailed about instead of shopping them myself.

See what I did there? I'm really thinking about you and all of the deals that will be passed your way.

I promise more photos and less talk next time.

Amber

Budget Friendly Travel Tips

In November my sister, her husband & I are going on a trip around the world (literally!) We are going to Rome, Prague & Thailand you might remember me mentioning the trip here. Now you're probably wondering, how in the world are you affording this?

It's actually a pretty funny story but I'll give you the short version. My friend Chris posted that she got tickets to Milan, Prague & Thailand for $200. I immediately wanted to know how that was possible, she sent me a link to a blog explaining that Priceline was having a fluke that allowed you to put in this route & it would come out to around $200 dollars. I am pretty spontaneous & wanted to book it. My sister on the other hand is not as crazy as I am but somehow I convinced her to do it. So now here we are planning a worldwide trip!!

Planning a trip on a tight budget has been tough! But I've learned some tips along the way, here they are:

1. Save on Hotels

Staying at hotels every night can really add up. Why spend a ton of money for a place where you are going to be sleeping? We are staying at Airbnb's in Rome & Prague. You can also save money by staying at hostels.

2. Cook at Home
I love to try new food while I am on vacation. I believe it's part of the experience but you can limit yourself to eating out. If you stay at an Airbnb you will probably have access to a kitchen, which you can use to make a couple of dinners at home. Also pick up snacks to keep on you while you explore.

3. Use public transportation
You can save a lot of money by not taking cabs everywhere! If the place you are visiting has a public transportation system, use it. It's a great way to learn more about your surroundings & it gives you the opportunity to interact with locals.

4. Discounted Tickets to Attractions
Check to see if the attractions you're visiting offer a special discount for students, groups or certain ages. Some places offer hop on & off buses, which can be a great deal to see a lot of attractions for your money. In Rome we are considering doing the Roma Pass to save on attractions + public transportation.

5. Talk to Locals
Locals are your greatest resource! They can offer advice on cheap eats, attractions & may even invite you over. Talking to new people is something I really enjoy especially in a new place!

6. Walking Tours
Check to see if there are free walking tours. This is a great way to see the sites & get insight from a tour guide.

7. Rent a Bike Instead of a Car
Renting a car can really put a damper on your budget. Look up city biking programs & rent one for the day to get around. This really helps save $$ for other activities + it's fun!

8. Walk
I walk a lot! I know a lot of people are used to driving but walking is a great way to explore a new place. You may find hidden gems you might not have known about otherwise!

9. Experience It
Don't spend all your time shopping! I always tell myself "collect experiences not things." This is very true! Shopping while on vacation can be expensive. I would rather spend that money checking out museums, local hot spots & the sites.

10. Save Money 
I have been saving money since the beginning of summer for my trip. Each paycheck I put $200 away for my vacation– I have also cut back on little things that add up (do I really need that #PSL?) I would rather spend money abroad & do what I can with the money I've saved.

Do you have any tips for planning a budget friendly trip? If so, I would love to hear!

Xo,

Emily

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! I am so excited that I have a long weekend ahead. I can't wait to relax & attend a couple of fun festivals with friends. I am also going to go apple picking. I am really excited about that!

Let's close off the week with some of my favorite links from around the web this week!

1. Pumpkin Muffins with Carmel Glaze (Lulu the Baker)

How amazing do these look? You can find me making these this weekend. 

2. Fall Entertaining with Food Should Taste Good (DC Girl in Pearls)

Thanks to the DC Girl in Pearls (Lauren Anne) for the inspiration! I am now dreaming about throwing a fall party myself. I love the DIY glasses, the food & the decor. It's perfect & how fun would this be with friends? Sign me up!

3. Secrets of DC - 13 DC Secrets You Had No Idea Existed (Thrillist)

There is so much to do in DC & I had no idea these existed. I really want to check out the DEA museum, the Mansion on O street & the pond with music. Who wants to come?

4. DIY Fall Flower Arrangement (Style Me Pretty)

Nothing brightens up a space quite like beautiful flowers. I am also obsessed with this fall flower arrangement, so pretty! 

5. #AnnaRifleBond Inspired Nail Art (The Beauty Department)

After Amber talked all about her favorite Julep products this week. I am now inspired to paint my nails. This nail art tutorial is way too cute to pass up! I also love Rifle Paper Co. so obviously I want these nails!

I hope you all have a great weekend! Do you have any fun plans?

Xo,

Emily

Currently

I hope you're all having a great week! I am so tired lately, I haven't been sleeping well (again!) If anyone out there has suggestions for relaxing before bed I am all ears. I am longing for the long weekend & my upcoming vacation in November. But for now here is a quick post of things I currently love:

^^I literally got chills when I saw Allison walk down the aisle this past weekend at her wedding. So gorgeous! 

^^My room is my favorite place. It feels nice to have a place where I feel totally me.

^^I've been grocery shopping a lot more. I even picked up some pumpkins to decorate my apartment. 

^^I've also been cooking! I made skinny spaghetti with squash & homemade pasta sauce. Yum!

^^A gorgeous day spent with friends at Union Market.

^^I am obsessed with Korean tacos from Takorean. 

^^I had such a blast seeing White Ford Bronco! I danced my ass off to 90's music (my favorite!)

^^Obsessed with my new pillow from Garbella Design that I got at the Crafty Bastards Festival. 

^^I enjoy spending Friday's making dinner at home with friends.

^^I love taking long walks down these lovely streets.

What have you been up to lately?

Xo,

Emily

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